Changes to SU’s starting XI fuel 1-0 victory over BC
Syracuse pulled out its third straight win over BC via multiple lineup changes, which included subbing in freshman Bryson Rodriguez for his first career start. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
Bryson Rodriguez spent the first nine games of the 2025 season on the bench. The freshman midfielder didn’t see his first action until Syracuse’s 2-0 win over Cal last Saturday, logging 50 minutes.
Rodriguez said sitting on the bench was difficult, but rotating players often is characteristic of his coach.
When you’re playing under Ian McIntyre in an environment like Syracuse, nobody’s position is set in stone. Each lineup he’s put out this season has been slightly different from the last. The only part of McIntyre’s squad that’s been mostly untouched is his backline, but he’s experimented everywhere on the pitch. His squad leans on veteran presences, but he’s never afraid to throw his freshmen into the fire.
On Friday evening, he did exactly that. McIntyre gave Rodriguez his first collegiate start and just his second appearance of the season. The coach noted two of his toughest decisions in the lineup each match are between Sachiel Ming and Giona Leibold on the left wing, and between Ernest Mensah Jr., Chimere Omeze and Gavin Wigg at fullback. He selected Leibold, Wigg and Omeze on Friday.
“That’s the challenge that I have, but it’s a wonderful challenge,” McIntyre said of selecting his starting XI.
McIntyre’s latest lineup adjustments helped Syracuse (5-4-2, 2-2-0 Atlantic Coast) take down Boston College (5-6-0, 1-4-0 ACC) 1-0 Friday night. Rodriguez’s header off a cross from Leibold, his first collegiate goal, helped the Orange take a lead they never relinquished. SU’s backline, with the addition of Wigg, helped it to a third consecutive clean sheet.
“We’ve got lots of good players,” McIntyre said. “It’s just finding the right players for the right moment. Tonight, it worked out.”
Starting Rodriguez was the boldest of McIntyre’s decisions Friday. But, as with everything SU’s gaffer does, it had precise intention.
In preparation for the game, McIntyre identified Boston College’s Marci Killeen as one of the Eagles’ strongest midfielders. McIntyre thought Rodriguez’s ability to time runs into the box and get on the end of crosses would disrupt Killeen and the Eagles’ midfield, so he picked the Costa Rican for his first collegiate start.
In the 66th minute, Rodriguez executed what McIntyre put him out there to do. Carlos Zambrano played Leibold into space on the left wing, and Leibold clipped a cross toward the penalty spot. Rodriguez made his run from outside the 18-yard box and rose up to meet Leibold’s ball from about 12 yards out. He floated it over BC goalkeeper Andrej Borak and into the top left corner.
“It was a fantastic goal and a goal worthy to win the kind of combative game it was today,” McIntyre said.
McIntyre called the pass the “Giona Leibold of old.” McIntyre’s been leaning on the senior midfielder several times over the past couple contests, and his faith in Leibold paid off Friday. The German had four shots, two of which were on target, to pair with his assist.
His decision to start Wigg at fullback paid off, too. Wigg manned the left wing for all 90 minutes, pestering BC’s Michael Asare all night long.
Syracuse defender Gavin Wigg guards Boston College’s Michael Asare in SU’s win over BC. After playing a full 90 minutes in the Orange’s last two games, Wigg pitched in another full effort while filling in for Ernest Mensah on Friday. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer
In midfield, McIntyre opted for Kelvin Da Costa and Kristjan Fortier, among a plethora of options, including Tim Noeding and Nathan Scott, who both started in the win over Cal. Da Costa put in a full 90 while Fortier provided stability in defensive midfield.
The changes to the lineup meant the Orange had more firepower on the bench, too. Mensah, Ming and Scott, who’ve been staples in previous renditions of McIntyre’s starting lineup, all played more than 25 minutes off the bench and provided a spark, McIntyre said.
“Everybody’s hungry to be on that field,” Rodriguez said. “I think we have the ambition of, if we start on the bench, we come on and do the same or even more than the guys that just came off. I think that’s the mentality we have as a team.”
“When we brought some guys on, they helped the game as well,” McIntyre added. “We dug deep in the second half. At the end of the day, three points in this league is really tough to come by.”
Indeed, getting two wins in the ACC isn’t easy. The turnaround has been monumental for the Orange.
They entered conference play on a two-match winless streak, which extended to four after a 3-2 loss to then-No. 8 Stanford and a 2-0 defeat to then-No. 19 Duke. SU has been completely revitalized, now winning three games on the bounce and outscoring opponents 6-0 in that span. It’s helped Syracuse get back to .500 in conference play.
A large part of the success is McIntyre’s willingness to take risks and switch up his tactics. Eighteen different players have started a game since ACC play began, and no game has proven McIntyre’s changes right more than Friday’s.
The competition for spots in the squad has naturally driven Syracuse. Now hitting the thick of ACC play, the Orange hope it’ll continue to fuel their hot streak.
“It’s good competition overall, and it’s gonna make the team better going forward,” Leibold said.
